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Tank Cycled, I Need To Stock Up

kashifg

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Good news! its finally cycled.

Im hoping to do a 100% water change tomorrow evening and introduce fish on saturday.

Now, everyone goes on about the advantages of fishless cycling and the fact that you can add fish all in one go.
Is it really ok to introduce all my stock in one go, or would it be more sensible to do 50% this weekend, and then the other half a week later?

Tank is a juwel trigon350
 
I'd add your fish slowly, so you don't get any spikes.
What's your planned stocking?
 
Pair Angels
Bolivian Rams Pair
3-4 Pearl Gourami
Rummynose tetra 20
Bleeding heart tetra 10-15 or spossibly cherry barbs.
Cory's 12-15
Botia strata 6
Bristlenose pair
 
id defo start slowly, if it was me id leave the rams and the angel fish last. the loaches, bleeding heart tetra's and guarmi's would be the ones id start with, but i probably wouldnt add all of those at the same time. it space it over a few weeks at week.
 
You would be best off adding a fair chunk after your big water change otherwise your bacteria colony will just die off and the time spent doing this cycle will kind of been a bit of a shame really...

Your stock list looks good, I would probably look at doing the Pearl Gourami, Bleeding Heart Tetras or Cherry Barbs which ever you go with, the Loaches and the Bristlenoses :) This is a big tank so will need a decent amount of fish to keep up after the fishless cycle. If you just add a few fish - eg one school - each time you add only a few fish the bacteria will die off as there will not be enough ammonia and nitrate to feed the full colony so each time you add more fish you will bump the cycle somewhat.

I would add the Angels last - particularly if you go for adults or subadults.

Wills
 
I'd be a bit concerned about the pair of angels myself. If they breed they will become quite territorial. Just something to be mindful of.
 
thanks guys.
i just did my 12 hour test, and its nto quite how i would have liked.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite Between 0 & 0.25

Will this be a problem if i do my water change tonight and add fish tomorrow? With it being the weekend, i was keen on finally getting fish, otherwise it'll be another week of waiting!
Results were fine after 24 hours, just not quite there after 12 hours.
 
Ammonia 0
Nitrite Between 0 & 0.25

If you added 5ppm of ammonia then you're good to go. As for stocking get whatever you like though I'd stay away from all livebearers (mollys. plattys etc) as they are the aquatic equivalent of rats imo.

Are you going to keep a planted tank?
 
i have been dosing everyday 3-4ppm.
the tank is allready planted, not heavily.
 
i have been dosing everyday 3-4ppm.
the tank is allready planted, not heavily.

When your filter can neutralize 5ppm of ammonia and the resulting nitrite then you are cycled and can add whatever you please. No need to start slowly as your bacs colony are/will be strong enough for you to stock fully. At least That is what I did without issue or problems. Though at 3-4ppm with your planned stocking and your likely to run into trouble. I'd say almost certainly! Crank up the dosage to 5ppm and then test in 12 hours and post the results.

I just took another look at your tank dimensions and stocking and personally, I'd reduce the number of corys down to about 5 or 6 and go for either a pair of sparkling gourami or angelfish to limit possible top dweller tension as anglefish are known to attack anything it deems a threat during spawning.
 
i have been dosing everyday 3-4ppm.
the tank is allready planted, not heavily.

When your filter can neutralize 5ppm of ammonia and the resulting nitrite then you are cycled and can add whatever you please. No need to start slowly as your bacs colony are/will be strong enough for you to stock fully. At least That is what I did without issue or problems. Though at 3-4ppm with your planned stocking and your likely to run into trouble. I'd say almost certainly! Crank up the dosage to 5ppm and then test in 12 hours and post the results.


While it is true that at 5ppm you can fully stock without any ammonia/nitrite issues, that doesn't always mean that adding your full stock in one go is the best option. There are multiple sensitive fish that struggle in a newly set-up, yet fully cycled tank. Personally, I'd start with the shoaling species like the rummynose and tetra/barbs and cories. Then wait a while before adding any of the others. A tank reaches full maturity at around 6 months. So, I'd be patient about adding the more expensive and more sensitive fish like the rams, gouramis and angelfish. And what would be the reason for adding the BN plecos before they had some algae to munch. Let the algae build up a little first so that they will have some "natural" food when they are added... Maybe a month or so from now. I might think about adding the gouramis the month after that, then the rams and finally the angels. But, as mentioned... breeding angels can be a bit testy.
 
A tank reaches full maturity at around 6 months. So, I'd be patient about adding the more expensive and more sensitive fish like the rams, gouramis and angelfish. And what would be the reason for adding the BN plecos before they had some algae to munch. Let the algae build up a little first so that they will have some "natural" food when they are added... Maybe a month or so from now. I might think about adding the gouramis the month after that, then the rams and finally the angels. But, as mentioned... breeding angels can be a bit testy.

The most valuable lesson taught to me about this hobby was to "Look at the science." And when I approach what your saying from that angel I can't help but disagree in an aquatic sense (not personal.) This notion of "sensitive" fish when you break it down is actually fish which are least tolerant to ammonia, nitrite, and the higher levels of nitrate. If none of the aforementioned are present what is to stop someone adding their stock? Secondly, a tank reaching full maturity in 6 months has never made much sense to me. I mean, sure you might get diatoms algae on the glass for 6 months and perhaps longer but again, what is the science behind this tank maturity thing?

My theory behind these commonly accepted rules is this...

Too many people don't "fully" cycle their filter (cycling to a lower ppm like the original post) and then add their full stock. Inevitably they get spikes of ammonia or nitrite. Sometimes these spikes are mere traces but traces which are sustained (perhaps ammonia @ 0.25ppm) and as a result the species in their stock which is most susceptible die.

The maturity thing also (to me) seems quite baseless. And I say that because the bac colony after you cycle is at it's strongest. And will adjust in numbers according to the A & N available. If you cycle to the point where 5ppm of ammonia (and the resulting nitrite) is consistently consumed within 12 hours and then add a school of tetras and say a couple of other fish while waiting for the tank to "mature" all your doing, scientifically, is reducing the size of your bacs colony, only to then build up the colony slowly over time by adding a fish here and there. Where as if you stock fully to begin with, the bacs colony will adjust in size accordingly. Making the bacs you then lose of zero consequence to your fish.

I remember when I first finished my cycle and wanted neon tetras and everyone was telling me "No you've got to wait" or "Neon tetras are just too sensitive" and inevitably "You must wait for your tank to mature?" It was around that time, no in fact it was exactly that time where someone from this very forum told me to identify the science. Green neons were the first fish I added to my aquarium on stock day without issue.

Again though, I would love to read or see the science behind the "tank maturity" and "sensitive fish." While I'm confident in the science of this hobby there is so much to learn so if someone could point out to me the science behind these commonly carted rules, I'm more than willing and would love to learn more about them.

@kashifg I wouldn't add anything to the tank until 5ppm of ammonia is consumed within 12 hours consistently for 7 days.
 
I was looking and hoping to get at the science but you gave me someone else theory...
 
Got to admit I kind of agree with Primodus on the months and mature tank situation and on getting your ppm upto 5. But for the main part something like 95% of your bacteria is in your filter and the biofilms are only really beneficial to things a like Farlowella twig cats though even most mature tanks cant even cater for them. In smaller tanks I agree it could be important. Possibly the most important bacteria that does take time to build up are those that break down solid waste on substrate but again unless you had big bottom dweller in this size tank or it was a smaller tank with your planned cories the concentration just is not going to be high enough.

Again I would stand by what I said - young fish being added to a tank this size after such a thorough fishless cycle. And also a lot of the fish on the list are not notoriously weak fish or massivly over bred fish with damaged immune systems.

Algae is not hard to grow either, the fishless cycle is going to be adding the nutrients so the tank is likely to have been going for a month as it is. And at the very worst you can substitute an algae eaters diet through good quality plec waffers and veg until the tank has a population of algae for them.

Also not sure I wouldnt skip on the Pearl Gourami - I have mixed Pearls and Angels before with success in smaller tanks and these Trigons are nice and tall and while Gourami are upper/surface fish Angels are more mid/upper and are more likely to claim territory on high up decor or plants where as Gourami would stake out a patch of surface.

And dont be afraid of breeding Angelfish especially in a tank this size - the biggest risk with breeding cichlids in a community tank IME is the male killing the female for various reasons at some point after a spawn.

At the end of the day your going to be on high alert in the first few weeks/months (years) and youve got access to great advice should things look iffy and so long as you get in with the hard work on water changes should they be needed (though I really dont think masses will be) you will be fine.

Just my two cents
Hope its helped

Wills
 

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